"I am launching this campaign against the will of Heaven..."

Late April had arrived, undeniably the proper start of summer. The weather was turning hot, the sweltering heat was difficult to bear. Wanyan Lou Shi, his clothes soaked with sweat, sat under the shade of a tree not far from the riverbank where the Ju River flowed into the North Luo River in Fang Prefecture. He gazed at the soldiers listlessly crowded in the shade around him and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Having said that, this time Lou Shi concentrated most of the Meng'an Mouke from the Western Route Army for the expedition to northern Shaanxi. However, he did not bring enough full-complement Han Chinese auxiliary soldiers. While this significantly improved combat effectiveness, it also made some issues glaringly obvious:

Firstly, as the weather grew hotter, the elites who hailed from Liaodong and Yanyun found it increasingly difficult to adapt to the heat. Moreover, many of the Jurchen elites in the Western Route Army were originally from the area near the Anchuhu River (present-day Harbin). Lou Shi couldn't imagine the scene of continuous rain in late summer and early autumn. It would be a disaster not only for the cavalry under his command, but also for his own health.

Secondly, the northern Shaanxi region was a typical hilly plateau. This special terrain allowed cavalry to engage in local battles, but it was difficult to exploit their strategic mobility advantage, which made logistics difficult and large-scale mobile warfare almost a luxury.

Therefore, in Lou Shi's view, this battle might have been necessary from a national strategic and personal needs perspective. However, when it came down to the immediate battlefield level, it was a battle without the blessings of Heaven or the advantages of terrain... His only hope was the "people" - relying on this group of core elite cavalry from Liaodong, Yanyun, and even the banks of the Anchuhu River, relying on his own determination, to decide the battle in one fell swoop.

As the sun set in the west, the main force of the Jin army, which had marched laboriously to this point, rested for a long time. As everyone's breathing gradually normalized, most of the Jin soldiers rose to go to the North Luo River and the Ju River to cool off. The Han Chinese soldiers, however, under the scolding of Deputy Commander Wanyan Bali Sù, began to set up camp on the riverbank under the scorching sun.

At this time, the commander-in-chief of the entire army, Lou Shi, was still leaning against the original big tree, closing his eyes and concentrating. No one dared to disturb him easily... Of course, Lou Shi had already stopped thinking wildly and was concentrating his energy on the current battle situation.

Speaking of which, Wanyan Lou Shi led the elite of the Western Route Army southward this time, with a total force of about 50,000 to 60,000 men. Among them, the elite soldiers under the pure Meng'an and Mouke system were barely less than 40,000, plus 10,000 to 20,000 Han Chinese auxiliary soldiers, mainly archers and support troops... The reason for this was that under the Meng'an Mouke system, each Wanhu certainly had ten Meng'an, but each Meng'an often had only five or six, or even four or five Mouke. Normally, if a Wanhu wanted to lead a full 10,000 soldiers, it was usually 4,000 to 5,000 cavalry under the Meng'an Mouke system, plus 4,000 to 5,000 Han Chinese auxiliary soldiers.

However, this time, in order to ensure a swift deployment and combat effectiveness under limited logistical conditions, Lou Shi did not mobilize too many Han Chinese auxiliary soldiers... Those troops were assigned to the nominal commander-in-chief, the Third Prince Wanyan Eliduo, who should be arriving in Hezhong Prefecture soon.

As for the 50,000 to 60,000 men, only 30,000 to 40,000 remained at this point... This wasn't to say that Lou Shi had suffered many losses, but rather a natural result of splitting up the troops.

First, there were the necessary defensive and garrison troops. Under these terrain conditions and supply status, no one dared to take this aspect lightly. But there were too many gullies and ravines along the way, and it seemed like a stockade should be built everywhere and some soldiers left behind... Not to mention the key points of Yan'an Prefecture and Luojiao City.

Second, Wanyan Huonv led a separate force of about 10,000 men, branching off from the Yan River early on, heading south along the Yellow River to capture Dan Prefecture and spy on Tong Prefecture.

This route was undeniably successful. Huonv performed exceptionally well, capturing Dan Prefecture with ease. As for the recent obstruction at Tong Prefecture... To put it bluntly, that was to be expected, because Tong Prefecture was garrisoned by the Southern Dynasty's top general, Han Shizhong, and his Imperial Guard Left Army, numbering 30,000 to 40,000 men. Moreover, there was a proper Liangshan mountain range between Dan Prefecture and Tong Prefecture, plus the weather. If 10,000 men could really break through Tong Prefecture, then Huonv could truly replace his father's position.

Therefore, after arriving at the confluence of the Ju River and the North Luo River, Wanyan Lou Shi theoretically still had seven Wanhu, but only about 30,000 to 40,000 troops.

Of course, most of them were the kind of true core combat forces that were "invincible with ten thousand men." With only ten thousand of these troops, Lou Shi had previously relied on them to defeat the Western Army of 200,000, so there was nothing wrong.

After mentally inventorying his forces, Lou Shi began to consider the marching route of his main force.

This main force was basically advancing along the North Luo River. The two most important defensive nodes on the North Luo River were both upstream... One was the Diaoyin Mountain Pass, which Qu Duan had been operating for a long time, but lost its strategic value after Dan Prefecture on its flank was captured by Wanyan Huonv's separate force. The defending general, Wu Lin, chose to abandon it and retreat. The other was Luojiao City, next to the main route of the North Luo River, which was easily captured by Lou Shi's army. The Wu brothers, Wu Jie and Wu Lin, were divided into two, one heading west and the other south, fleeing in disarray.

Therefore, by now, the Jin army had captured Fuzhou and Dan Prefecture and officially pressed into Fang Prefecture, spying on Tong Prefecture.

From this point on, not to mention the separate force in Dan Prefecture, the main force here faced three possible routes.

One route was naturally along the North Luo River, continuing southeast from the east bank of the North Luo River. The destination ahead was none other than Tong Prefecture, garrisoned by Han Shizhong... This was a relatively 'orthodox' route. The army would advance south along this route, with Huonv's army in Dan Prefecture providing support on the flank. Moreover, with the important town of Fucheng on the east bank of the Luo River in hand, they could ensure their rear was worry-free. They could calmly attack Han Shizhong together with Wanyan Huonv's force from Dan Prefecture, and also draw the attention of another large main force, including the Third Prince Wanyan Eliduo and Wanyan Wushu, in Hedong, making it easier for them to cross the river.

In fact, this was where most people guessed the decisive battle would take place.

Another route was also south along the North Luo River, but from the west bank of the North Luo River, taking Huazhou, then taking the Fuping and Sanyuan areas on the border of Huazhou and Yaozhou, and officially entering the Weibei Plain, reaching the capital of Jingzhao... Once there, Han Shizhong would likely be forced to abandon Tong Prefecture and return to defend Chang'an. The Hedong army would naturally be able to cross the river smoothly.

The third route was also to reach the capital of Jingzhao, but from here, heading southwest, to capture Fang Prefecture City, then turn to Yaozhou on the southwest. As long as Tongguan (later Tongchuan) and Huayuan (later Yaoxian) were captured, the Weibei gateways of Fuping and Sanyuan would also be in sight.

Three routes, from west to east, Yaozhou, Huazhou, and Tongzhou. Any route could be taken, but one must be chosen. Splitting the troops into three would be ridiculous... Among these, Lou Shi had already rejected Tongzhou, which most people guessed, in his heart.

This wasn't to say that Lou Shi was truly afraid of Han Shizhong, but that he worried about spending too much time in Tongzhou... The roads in northern Shaanxi were too difficult, and it had already taken a lot of time... If he delayed in Tongzhou, not to mention the possibility of exhausting himself to death, even just another month of tossing and turning would be unbearable for Lou Shi.

Moreover, the situation was different now than in the past. Lou Shi vaguely felt that even if Han Shizhong was defeated, it might not mean winning the decisive battle. On the contrary, wouldn't getting entangled with Han Shizhong in Tongzhou give the Song people more time to gather? Would more troops continue to gather in the Wei River area, regardless of Han Shizhong's defeat in front, to defend Jingzhao? Would the Hedong army's food supply be able to keep up?

The terrain remained the same, but the people were different. With such a determined Zhao official family pressing from behind, it was impossible to analyze and view the Song people with the old mindset.

The idea that a victory at the front would cause the Song army to collapse completely at the rear was absolutely not acceptable.

However, if he took the other two routes, that is, directly abandoning Tongzhou and invading the Wei River, forcing Han Shizhong to retreat, it was necessary to ensure that there was sufficient rear security on the west bank of the Luo River. In other words, whether it was Huazhou or Yaozhou, Fang Prefecture City should be taken first.

"Has Wu Li Bu not returned yet?"

With this thought, Lou Shi slowly opened his eyes, first looked at the sun, which was already somewhat yellow, and then asked Wanyan Mou Yan, his second son, who was holding a knife and standing guard not far from his side.

Wu Li Bu, which meant "accumulation" in the Jurchen language, was a very common name among Jurchen officers, just like a Han Chinese might be named Zhang Facai or have the character "Fu" in their name.

The Wu Li Bu that Lou Shi was asking about could only be Jiagu Wu Li Bu, one of the two fully staffed Hezha Meng'an that Lou Shi had brought on this expedition...

Here, it is necessary to say more.

The so-called Hezha Meng'an was the imperial guard. Before the founding of the country, only a few people such as Aguda, Wugumai, and Nianhan were qualified to have them. There were only six in total. After the founding of the country, many nobles raised them, which may have been the true origin of the Tiefutu, but in any case, these six were still the most elite. Nianhan was also very generous. He brought both of his Hezha Meng'an to Lou Shi this time... one led by Jiagu Wu Li Bu and one led by Puch Cha Huzhan.

As for Lou Shi asking about Wu Li Bu now, it was because according to the Jin people's traditional method of advancing, once a battle was won, in order to ensure the expansion of the victory at the smallest cost, a very elite cavalry force would often be sent to follow closely behind, trying to frighten the city into surrender or expand the victory along with the defeated army. This time, the one who followed Wu Jie was Jiagu Wu Li Bu, leading a Hezha Meng'an.

"He has returned... He has already reported to Bali Sù. He didn't dare to disturb you because he saw that Father was resting with his eyes closed." Mou Yan heard this and quickly took two steps forward to answer. "However, according to him, after Wu Jie fled into Fang Prefecture City, he was not panicked to the point of being at a loss. The city's defenses are still tight, so he didn't succeed, but instead suffered a small loss, so he simply withdrew."

Lou Shi's expression remained unchanged, and he just nodded: "The Wu brothers are rare talents. It can be seen from their ability to gather their troops and establish a foothold after several defeats that Wu Li Bu's loss is not a problem..."

Wanyan Mou Yan also nodded: "Indeed, the Wu brothers are actually quite effective in combat. Not to mention the ambush by Big Brother by this river at the beginning of the year, no one can do anything when cavalry suddenly attacks across the river in a field battle... But a few days ago in Luojiao, their brothers really didn't lose many soldiers. Wu Jie took away four or five thousand, and Wu Lin also took away two or three thousand."

"Your brothers are not as good as their brothers." Lou Shi nodded again, his yellowish, thin face without any expression.

Mou Yan was just casually saying a few words along with his father's words. Hearing the other party's conclusion, he was naturally unconvinced, but he didn't dare to say more.

"Go find Bali Sù." Lou Shi didn't care about his second son's thoughts, but simply ordered. "Summon the Wanhu and capable Meng'an in the army. I want to issue military orders."

Mou Yan didn't dare to be negligent and hurried away.

After a short while, hearing that the commander-in-chief had summoned them, the Wanhu and Deputy Commander Wanyan Bali Sù, who accompanied him on this expedition, and below him, Wanhu Wanyan Tuhe Sù, Wanhu Yelu Mawu, Wanhu Wanyan Sali He, Wanhu Wanyan Zhehe, plus the two Hezha Meng'an Jiagu Wu Li Bu and Puch Cha Huzhan, a total of ten or so people, rushed to the riverbank.

And the ten or so people, almost everyone brought several guards, which made the area around the tree noisy for a while.

However, when Lou Shi, who was sitting cross-legged under the tree, raised his head and looked around, the noise immediately disappeared. Even Deputy Commander Wanyan Bali Sù, who inherited his brother Yin Shuke's position in the Western Route Army and was in charge of daily military affairs during this expedition, immediately stood at attention, as well-behaved as a mouse seeing a cat, with no sign of the heroic posture he once displayed in Wanyan Wushu's army, regularly opposing the Fourth Prince.

"Wu Li Bu." Lou Shi didn't waste any words and directly glanced at one of them. "What is the situation in Fang Prefecture City? How many soldiers are needed to prepare for an attack?"

"Reporting to the Commander." Jiagu Wu Li Bu also bowed solemnly. "The city is not big, but the surrounding terrain is troublesome, with mountain gullies everywhere. To attack the city, you can only cross the river from the north. However, in addition to using the so-called Ju River to surround the city as a moat, the Song people also have a mountain on the north side of the city that extends to the river. The closest mountain peak is several tens of feet high, and it is full of rocks and potholes. The Song people have also prepared a stockade on top, controlling the main road and open space on the north side of the city. The open space is not large, just two or three thousand people can fill it... I was bombarded with arrows there, and after being bored, I only spied on the stones on the mountain and came back."

"In other words, the troops cannot be deployed, and Wu Jie has made preparations for this city, so we must first capture the stockade before attacking the city?" Lou Shi frowned slightly.

"That's what I mean." Wu Li Bu bowed again.

"Can you detour to the south of the city?"

"Maybe, but we don't know the terrain, and we're afraid we'll get lost in the mountain gullies. Moreover, the villages along the way are empty... It will take time."

"Who will go?" Lou Shi nodded, no longer caring too much, but directly looked at the group of extremely quiet Wanhu.

"I'll go!"

Everyone looked at each other. At this moment, Wanyan Tuhe Sù, who had been somewhat impatient, suddenly stepped forward, puffed out his chest and belly, supported his waist, and responded. "I, Tuhe Sù, am best at infantry warfare!"

As soon as this was said, there was a burst of laughter under the shade of the tree, and many of the guards around also laughed.

It should be said that Tuhe Sù, as a famous general of the Western Route Army, certainly had no shortage of classic battles. He was the one who killed Zhong Shizhong in Taiyuan that day. However, the infantry warfare he mentioned this time referred to another battle.

Specifically, after the capture of Taiyuan, the Jin army swept through Hedong. As a result, when they fought to Shizhou (present-day Lishi, Shanxi), the Song army relied on the mountain roads to successfully resist the Jin army several times. The Jin army lost three generals in a row and could only ask for help from Tuhe Sù in Taiyuan. Tuhe Sù went to Shizhou, observed the terrain, and believed that he should dismount and fight on foot.

As a result, the Jin army general in charge of the battle at the time, whether he was already frightened or was looking for an excuse for his failed battle, told Tuhe Sù that the Song people knew magic and had talismans tied to their feet like Shenxing Taibao, running faster than horses. If the Jin army abandoned their warhorses to fight the Song people, it would be even more difficult.

As a result, Tuhe Sù sneered on the spot, and then ordered the entire army to dismount and engage in mountain infantry warfare with the Song army, annihilating the Song army in Shizhou... History called it 'all annihilated'.

Lou Shi was actually dissatisfied with Tuhe Sù's arrogance and frivolity, but first, Tuhe Sù was indeed a brave and unparalleled person in battle; second, as the weather got hotter and the soldiers gradually became exhausted, he wanted to use the other party's momentum; third, he really didn't want to continue dragging on the road.

Therefore, Lou Shi smiled at him under the tree: "In that case, Fang Prefecture City will be handed over to Tuhe Sù. Your unit of ten Meng'an and forty-seven Mouke should be enough. You can also freely use the Han Chinese army... Rest for a day today, and then go tomorrow, how about it!"

"The commander will wait here for a day, and I will send someone to pick you up into the city tomorrow night." Tuhe Sù immediately bowed in response.

Lou Shi didn't say anything and directly raised his hand slightly. Bali Sù and the others, including Tuhe Sù, dispersed, leaving Lou Shi alone to continue thinking under the tree... Before long, as the sun became more and more westward, the light yellow sunlight began to shine on Lou Shi's face, which made his originally sallow complexion slightly react, but he looked at the no longer dazzling sunset for a while, lost in thought, not knowing what he was thinking.

Not to mention how the Jin army's top general realized the Dao under the tree, just to say that this evening, almost at the same time, not more than twenty miles away from this Ju River estuary in a straight line, in the north of Fang Prefecture City, also under a tree by the river, there was also a general with a sallow complexion who was thinking about the situation... It was none other than Wu Jie, the Wu Pacification Commissioner, who had suffered consecutive defeats in recent months.

However, unlike Lou Shi, who was anxious in his heart but always had a calm expression, Wu Jie, Wu Jinqing, pondered for a long time, but suddenly began to wipe away tears under the tree, and the tears kept flowing down.

The officers who were ordered to follow him were panicked. Many of the soldiers who were digging horse-trapping pits on the road next to them also turned their heads to watch in astonishment, which made the following officers even more embarrassed.

However, Wu Gong (Wu Jie's adopted son, his younger brother) was protecting Pacification Commissioner Hu to Ning Prefecture, plus the severe situation of consecutive defeats before and the main force of the Jin people being only twenty miles away at the moment... More importantly, those who had followed Wu Jie for a long time knew that this newly appointed Pacification Commissioner was famous in the Guanshan army for liking to read history books and liked to learn from the tricks in the books. No one knew what the result would be if they stepped forward to take over... So, for a time, no one dared to persuade him.

However, Wu Jie, the Wu Pacification Commissioner, cried more and more sadly, and the crying became louder and louder. The surrounding officers really couldn't avoid it. After pushing each other, a leading commander officer named Wang Xi, who came from the Deshun Army and was considered a close general from Wu Jie's hometown, was pushed out by his colleagues and was forced to bite the bullet and step forward to ask:

"Pacification Commissioner, didn't Prime Minister Yuwen not pursue our defeats in Danzhou and Fuzhou, but instead just promoted you to Pacification Commissioner? Why are you still crying?"

"That's because I, Wu Da, still know what shame is!" Wu Jie immediately stopped crying when he heard this and turned his head, and then rebuked sharply, but restored the usual calm and stern demeanor. "At the beginning, when Qu Da's fellow was dismissed, there was no one available in northern Shaanxi. It was fine for the imperial court and the official family to reuse me, but now I have been defeated again and again, and the generals of Guanshan are gathering, but the official family and the imperial court still treat me like this. How can I not know shame?! You should also know shame! We must defend this Fang Prefecture City this time!"

A group of officers knew that the other party was just crying to say these words to encourage themselves, plus they withdrew to this city and found that the military stockades that had been built outside the city long ago, the military supplies piled up like mountains, and even dozens of bed crossbows were placed on the mountain stockades outside the city and on the city walls... They had long known that the other party was going to defend here, so they all echoed and said that they would learn from Wu Pacification Commissioner to know shame.

"Know shame my ass!" Wu Jie glanced at them coldly for a long time. The tears had been dried up by the yellow dust raised on the road, and then he got up and continued to scold his subordinates. "Do you think I don't know what you are thinking? You all just think that I am acting, forcing you to sell your lives... I am certainly forcing you to sell your lives... but have I lacked rewards or been unfair in rewards and punishments on weekdays?"

Hearing this rather practical sentence, close generals such as Wang Xi and Wang Wu, who were born in the Deshun Army, immediately couldn't bear it, and then stepped forward to ask for a battle, saying that they would come to guard the military stockade on the mountain outside the city.

However, as soon as the two leading generals opened their mouths, before they could finish speaking, a gust of wind swept the yellow soil excavated from the road, and for a while, the two of them were full of sand and dust, and it was a little unbearable, so they had to shut up, and Wu Jie burst into tears again.

This Pacification Commissioner had no choice but to turn his back, cover his face with his hands, and then continue to scold each other: "I only ask you, how do you know that I am not ashamed from the bottom of my heart today? You usually don't read books, but do you know that deep in the mountain on the north is the mausoleum of our ancestors, the Yellow Emperor? And is the imperial court's favor fake? Is the official family's generosity fake? Even a guy like Qu Da has lived and come back to become a Pacification Commissioner. Can you still say that the official family is treating us martial people falsely? Under the ancestral mausoleum, the imperial court has treated me with such grace. If I retreat and fail again, what face do I have to live in this world?"

These words were heavy, and Wang Xi and Wang Wu took the lead, and all the generals knelt down together, vowing that they would never retreat again, otherwise they would be struck by lightning.

Pacification Commissioner Wu wiped his face clean for the second time, but then asked coldly: "If you retreat again, and the sky doesn't strike lightning, what will you do?"

The generals all had a headache. In the end, Wang Xi, under Wu Jie's gaze, drew his knife and held the blade forward: "Then please General execute us according to military law."

"Of course military law can be executed." Wu Jie stepped forward to take the knife, and stroked the blade with his hand. "But if military law is to be executed, this general knows that you cannot be truly convinced... because I, Wu Jie, have also retreated and failed in several defeats. If I want to punish you, shouldn't I punish myself first?"

At this point, the generals really had no choice, so no one spoke this time.

"That's good." Wu Jie returned the knife to Wang Xi, and then said coldly. "Let's write off the previous things... From today on, let's learn from the official family's new rules on the Huai River in the past. In battle, anyone who dares to retreat behind me without authorization will be killed without mercy!"

The generals only felt that this mess today could finally be ended, and each breathed a sigh of relief, so they all vowed again... This time, at least there was no more wind and sand... After the generals finished vowing in a chaotic manner, Wang Xi and others took advantage of the situation to invite Wu Jie to enter the city from the drawbridge, saying that the officers in the city had put together a share to hold a banquet to celebrate the new Wu Pacification Commissioner's inauguration.

When Wu Jie heard this, his face darkened, but instead went towards the mountain stockade in the north. After taking a few steps, he turned back in the stunned eyes of the generals, and continued to say coldly: "This general knows that even if I say more heartfelt words today, even if I take out my heart and liver for you Western Army bastards to see, with your bastards, you may not be able to believe it. Only if I, Wu Da, set an example can you be convinced... Four thousand soldiers are divided into two. Pick out those who are good at shooting and give them to me, Wu Da. I will lead them to guard the mountain, and you will go to guard the city. This city can be broken, but to break this city, this Pacification Commissioner must die first. That's all."

Saying that, Wu Jie didn't turn his head again, but actually went past the busy road project and directly went to the military stockade on the opposite mountain.

And when he walked to the mountain top camp fortifications, supporting a strange rock and raising his head, looking around, the so-called east was the main force of tens of thousands of Jin elites, the south Chang'an was said by the people who passed the decree in private that the official family had secretly arrived, the west Ningzhou was where Pacification Commissioner Hu, who had an absolute understanding of his brothers, was located, and the north mountains were the mausoleum of the old ancestor, the Yellow Emperor... The man looked for a long time, lowered his head, and walked forward to the stockade, but couldn't help but shed tears three times.

As for the officers who had been following him all the time, they naturally hurried to keep up.